


As Merry As The Days Were Long

by lucdarling



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Gryffindor Louis, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-06 18:19:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3143975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucdarling/pseuds/lucdarling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis hates his job in the Muggle Liaison Office, his flatmate is possibly a liar and then there's Harry to deal with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Merry As The Days Were Long

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KateMonster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KateMonster/gifts).



Louis grabs his wand back from the guard on duty, yelling "hold the door" as he runs down the hall to the elevator. He's got four minutes before he's officially late to his job and it's a three minute elevator ride only if the car doesn't stop any other levels. He slides into the box just before the doors close, smack into another body.

"Hi," Louis says with a gasping breath, hopes the way his stomach drops with the elevator hurtling downward isn't reflected on his face. Nearly two years and he still isn't used to the speed.

He isn't so lucky, if the way the boy asks "Oops. You alright?" and long fingers encircle his wrist gently. Louis opens his eyes, unaware they'd even closed, and sees a mass of brown curls and green eyes. He forgets to back up a step, staying pressed against the firm chest because it feels so nice.

"Uh, yeah. I've only got three minutes until I'm late for what may be the last time. Any chance you're going to Level 3-" he pauses, hoping for a name to give the very attractive young man in front of him.

"Harry, and I'm afraid not. Level 5."

Louis' eyebrows raise because Harry doesn't look old enough to belong to anything dealing with the Department of International Magical Cooperation, which is the only department on that floor. Then he remembers that the wizards have set the lift to go from larger numbers to smaller and he definitely will be late to his job in the Muggle Liaison Office.

Harry squeezes his wrist before sliding his hand down, linking their little fingers together. Louis hides a smile as he reaches up to adjust his fringe, feeling cold as Harry steps away from him. It really is a good thing they're the only two in the lift because otherwise this would be awkward. Instead, it feels cozy and nearly intimate, like he and Harry have known each other for years. "Hang on," he mutters, pointing his wand at the control box. Harry mumbles something and the button for Level 5 is no longer lit up.

"Did you- How?" Louis watches the numbers drop rapidly, awestruck. If he knew that charm, he could probably sleep an extra five minutes every day.

"House secret," Harry chuckles as the voice of the lift announces his office. Harry gives a smirk and waves with one hand as Louis steps off. "Thanks, so much. I'm Louis." Louis practically yells at him as he runs down the hallway, dodging flying notes to reach his small desk before the supervisor does.

He probably mishears the slow drawl of "I know," because there is no way Louis would have missed Harry before now. He must have been in Hufflepuff, some of them never left their Common Room.

He spends his morning going through notes of idiotic wizards revealing magic to Muggles and thinking up excuses for them. Louis jots down 'hot air balloons over Bristol' as a reminder to pass it along to Andy, who's been trying to think up a reason for Muggles spotting the youngest child of the Hornswallow family who'd been hit with an unfortunate combination of an Engorgement Charm and a Flying Hex before he leaves for lunch.

The caf is serving chicken soup and slices of veggie Wellington. Louis has had the soup before; it's not near as good as his Mum's. He gets a packaged ham and cheese and slides into a seat across from Liam.

"Hope your day's been better than mine," Liam greets him. "The French are a bloody nightmare."

Louis tries to listen as Liam explains all the ways the French are thieving bastards because whatever they've written on the form is so terribly close to something already created that it might actually be the same thing, but Niall does a better job of actually being engaged in the conversation. Which would make sense, considering Liam works in the Ludicrous Patents office and Niall on the same floor as part of the British and Irish Quidditch Headquarters - Niall ended up in the Headquarters Office as the token Irish after his promising professional career as a Beater for the Irish national team went south during his Seventh year and his knee took a hit from a Bludger.

"I could just respond that I'm still looking into the development process," Liam reasons slowly. "then I have an extra week to come up with a denial or something." A look of relief washes over his face at figuring this out while Louis cackles.

"Liam, we've been rubbing off on you!" He cries out, slinging an arm over Liam's shoulders. Niall smiles bright as Liam attempts to justify how he came up with such a good excuse. "So, everyone on for tonight?" Louis questions, even though lad's night is tradition at this point. Every second Thursday of the month, it might as well be set in stone.

"Absolutely," Liam promises. "Though I've got to be getting back, I don't want to lose that reasoning."

"You gonna drag Zayn out again? Feel like we hardly seen him!" Niall says. Louis nods as he pushes his chair back and stands from the table.

"I'll swing by the MLE on my way back to my desk, Zayn shouldn't be working too late." Louis hopes he isn't, but it's been a day or two since he's even seen his flatmate in person thanks to their different work schedules.

He doesn't stop by Level Two in person, but sends a violet aeroplane to Eleanor who works in the Improper Use of Magic Office.

_If you see Zayn, tell him he isn't allowed to skip out on tonight's plans?_

Louis gets an hour of work done until he declares it time for a tea break. He doesn't wander around the office like he might have done, instead sitting at his desk and wondering if Harry would want to come out to the pub. Not that it matters, since Louis wants to avoid the Department of International Magical Cooperation at all costs and he doesn't have a last name to put on the aeroplane.

It's when he's setting the empty cup down on a corner of his desk that Eleanor's reply comes flying back, bobbing around his head in a manner that reminds Louis of the teasing banter the two of them used to engage in when they did their Prefect patrols at Hogwarts.

_Haven't seen him yet but he's signed in as being somewhere on the floor._

Louis frowns at the slanted handwriting and smooths the charmed paper out so it can't fly away. His supervisor comes by his desk before he can think of anything to write back and drops another foot-high stack of excuses to write before the day's end. Louis groans under his breath and gets back to work. He'll just catch Zayn at home.


End file.
